Discussion

Warning about safety of farmed shrimp?

Is anyone concerned about the recent report about the danger of eating farmed shrimp, and the rampant use of toxic chemicals, such as fungicides and antibiotics linked to cancer and leukemia? The fda has a warning on their site to only eat domestic shrimp even though 80% of shrimp available here is imported.

I've never seen domestic shrimp in NY other than from Florida, and it's usually more expensive as it's flown in fresh, and all the other shrimp you see in fish markets has been frozen and they are defrosting it and selling it. Sometimes I have seen Maine shrimp.

Anyone in NYC know where to get domestic shrimp other than Citarella? And what about rock shrimp, as far I know this comes from Florida.

What about Thai restaurants, they also use those jumbo farmed shrimp.

The report was very alarming, and wondering if anyone else has these concerns. I am also pregnant, so I especially need to be careful, but was told shrimp was ok.

First shrimp freeze very well. In the grocery store a lot of time the shrimp aren't fresh they're defrosted. Even if you do get fresh, by the time they make it from boat (or farm) to NYC a lot of the fresh is gone.

Second, if you see freshwater prawns they are probably from Mississippi. I buy them cheaper then equivalent shrimp (cheaper then steak) for 16-20 count. As for fears of quality (freshwater vs saltwater) the Chinese and SE Asians have traditionally preferred freshwater to salt.

I know that they are frozen for the most part, but that wasn't what I was really asking..I am looking for a domestic supplier of shrimp because only domestic supplies are monitored for these chemicals and antibiotics, so if it's domestic frozen or fresh, it's fine, but I am having a hard time to find this, because most of what I see in fish markets here is from Asian sources, and yes, they defrost them as they need to sell them. Another poster suggested Arizona source which sounded very interesting.

After my post I re-read yours and noticed you had caught the whole defrosting thing. Sorry. My point still stands on the freshwater prawns being a US product.

If where you can buy shrimp is anything like my local grocery, they sell the bags of frozen shrimp in a cooler by the fish counter. The bags are the same thing they defrost and then sell by the pound. The bags contain origin information. Otherwise just ask to see the bags the shrimp come in.

Although I have great sympathy for the American shrimp fisherman who is being severely hurt by foriegn fish farms I would like to know where I can find this so called "FDA warning on farmed shrimp" I have searched Google and found only references to Mercury in farmed shrimp.I have eaten wonderful local shrimp in South Carolina and have seen shrimp boats in Georgia and Florida. I would love to eat American wild shrimp if I knew where to buy it.I have bought Maine wild shrimp but it is only available in very small size suitable only for salad. Any suggestions ?

here is a news channel with a blip about a story..but my friend saw it on the news in Florida, a couple weeks ago, and I saw something in NY also. It's all over the internet about this chemical being in shrimp--just do a search for safety + shrimp, or fda + shrimp, there is alot of info on the fda site, just search for shrimp. Also, search for pregnancy + shrimp also